Matilda Mother – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the whimsical world of Pink Floyd's "Matilda Mother," a psychedelic journey back to childhood. Explore English vocabulary through the lens of fairy tales and discover the unique musical style that defined the band's early sound. This song will improve your understanding of the language and evoke a sense of nostalgia .

[English]

There was a king who ruled the land

His majesty was in command

With silver eyes the scarlet eagle

Showered silver on the people

Oh mother tell me more

Why'd you have to leave me there

Hanging in my infant air waiting

You only have to read the lines of

Scribbly black and everything shines

Across the stream with wooden shoes

Bells to tell the King the news

A thousand misty riders

Climb up higher once upon a time

Wondering and dreaming

The words have different meanings

Yes they did...

For all the time spent in that room

The doll's house darkness old perfume

And fairy stories held me high

On clouds of sunlight floating by

Oh mother tell me more

Tell me more...

Key Grammar Structures

• There was a king who ruled the land

  ➔ Past Simple + Relative Clause

  ➔ The verb "was" is in the past simple, showing a past state, and "who ruled the land" is a relative clause that modifies "king".

• Oh mother tell me more

  ➔ Imperative sentence

  ➔ The base form "tell" is used without a subject, which is typical for an imperative that gives a direct request.

• Why'd you have to leave me there

  ➔ Question with auxiliary "did" + modal "have to" + infinitive

  ➔ The contraction "Why'd" expands to "Why did", where "did" is the past‑tense auxiliary for forming a question, and "have to" expresses necessity before the infinitive "leave".

• You only have to read the lines of

  ➔ Modal verb "have to" + infinitive (obligation)

  ➔ The phrase "have to" functions as a modal verb meaning "must", and it is followed by the infinitive "read" which shows the action required.

• Hanging in my infant air waiting

  ➔ Present participle phrase used as adverbial

  ➔ The words "Hanging" and "waiting" are present participles; together they create a continuous‑action picture that modifies the main clause.

• The words have different meanings

  ➔ Present Simple (verb "have") for possession

  ➔ The verb "have" in the present simple shows a state of possession: the words "have" "different meanings".

• For all the time spent in that room

  ➔ Past participle used as adjective ("spent")

  ➔ The participle "spent" modifies "time", functioning as an adjective: "time spent" = "time that was spent".

• Climb up higher once upon a time

  ➔ Comparative adjective "higher" + narrative time phrase "once upon a time"

  ➔ The adjective "higher" is the comparative form of "high", indicating a greater degree, while "once upon a time" sets a past, story‑like context.

• Wondering and dreaming

  ➔ Gerund phrase used as noun/subject

  ➔ "Wondering" and "dreaming" are gerunds; together they function as a noun phrase that could serve as the subject of a clause.